Buttonhole attachment for sewing-machines.



W. H. HARGRAVES.

BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IuIYzs, 1915.

l ,1 84,993. Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. H. HARGRAVES.

uTToNHoLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY28, i915.y

l ,l 84,@93. Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

p so

lforming a part of the clutch device;

H. HARGRAVES. OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Appiicatioa sied my as, 1915. serial No. 42,292.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VViLLIAM H. HAR- GRAviis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allentown, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttonhole Attachments for Sewing-Machines; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has Vfor its object to provide an improved button-hole attachment for sewing machines, which attachment is also adapted for use in performing certain analogous work, such as tacking pockets, crotches, and other seams.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novell devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

Particularly, the present invention is designed as anv improvement on or refinement of the button-hole attachment disclosed and claimed -in Letters Patent of the United States No. 678,397, issued of date, July 16, 1901 to myself, iVilliam H. Hargraves, J. S. Heileg, and J. Roberts. Certain features of the present invention, however, are capable of incorporation in so-called button-hole attachments other than that type disclosed in the said prior patent.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a left side elevation of the improved attachment; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the said attachment; Fig. 4 is a detail in section taken on the line m4 on Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a right side elevation of the attachment; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the attachment with some parts removed; Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line m7 on Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a detail in elevation with some parts broken away', showing the ring an Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the lever forming part of the clutch device, taken on the line m m9 on Fig. Q.

A great many of the elements of my present improved attachment as illustrated in the drawings, are identical with corresponding elements of the attachment of the said prior patent; and such parts are, in the drawings of the present application, indicated by the same letters and powers that are applied thereto in the said patent, while the elements involved in the features of improvement are designated by numerals.

The frame or casing of the attachment comprises a bed a and body portion n? and a2. Theforward end of the casing is provided with a pair 0f jaws a3, one of which is fitted with two jam screws a* for clamping the attachment to the presser-foot barwof the sewing machine. In the prior patent, onl one 11am screw was employed, but I have found that the two jam screws not only more firmly secure the attachment to the said bar but insure better alinement. In the case portion al is journaled a short transverse shaft b, one end of which projects beyond the casing and has fixed thereto a ratchet wheel b1. A draft lever 712 is fulcrumed on the said shaft between'the casing and the ratchet wheel b1 and has a pawl b3 held by a spring bL for engagement with said ratchet wheel.

The forward end of the driving lever b2 passes through and has sliding connection with an eye 07 of a link bs that is carried by the needle-bar, not shown, but in such manner that the link oscillates with the needlebar, and hence, imparts a step by step rotary movement to the ratchet wheel b1 and shaft Z).

As a means for imparting vibratory or zigzagging movement to the cloth clamp, a cam wheel c is secured on the sha-ft b, and this cam is formed with a peripheral zigzag cam groove C1 that is engaged from below by a roller c3 of a stitch zigzagging lever l. This lever l is fulcrumed on a screw boltl c5 extending through an opening'in the frame portion in the casing, and having a thread-- ed lower end on which is screwed a nut c. The nut c not only serves to hold the bolt and lever in position, but works through a slot e2 in a retaining plate e, and thus holds the said plate with freedom for lateral oscillation.

The cloth clamp f is rigidly secured to the forward end of a longitudinally slotted slideplate f1, which plate is'lield in position between the bed a and retaining plate e. The main slot in the said plate f1 affords the required clearness for permitting longitudinal and lateral vibratorv movements thereof. T he retaining plate e works between laterally spaced lugs e1 on the plate f1 (see Fig. 3) and partakes of the lateral vibratory movements of the said plate f1 but does not move longitudinally therewith. On the end of a shaft la in the frame portion a2 is mounted a friction clutch device for imparting a progressive rotary movement to said shaft. This clutch mechanism comprises a lever ZL of annular form provided with an opening adapted to fit over the shaft Zu with some clearance, and a disk g4 rigidly secured to the end of said shaft. The lever h is mounted on the shaft 7c between said diskand the frame of the attachment. 1n an vannular groove on the inner side of the disk g4 is placed a clutch ring formed with two halves 99, each of said halves having a portion of one end removed so as to leave a rectangular opening to receive a rectangular lug k1 on the annular lever 71,. The said lever has a portion of its periphery cut away, as shown at k2, one endof thel said opening being formed to provide a seat for a pin 1 on a two-part clutch actuating slide-bar 2, and the other end of said opening being formed so as to engage one end cfa spring h4 anchored to the frame portion a2. The slidebar 2 rests loosely upon the flanged lower portion of the casing, and at its forward end is'A provided with a pin 2 which engages the end'or projecting lug ofthe driving lever b2, so that with an upward movement of the needle-bar, the said slide bar 2 will vrotate the lever h giving the lug h1 a twisting motion between the ends of the clutch 'ring sections g and jamming the same against the peripheraluvall of the disk y* therebylocking together said sections gf to said disk g4 and thus giving a step of rotary motion lto the shaft 7c. When the pin 2 is released from lever b2 on downward movement of the needle-bar, the spring 72.4 rotates the lever Z1, in a direction opposite to that in which it is moved by the slide-bar 2; and this reverse movement releases the ring sections g9 from engagement with the flange of the disk g4 and permits them to move freely back to initial position without carrying the said disk and shaft c therewith.

i The two sections of the slide-bar 2 have overlapped serrated surfaces arranged to be adjustably clamped together by a clamp screw 3 that works through a slot 4 in one of the said sections 2 and is screwed into the other. Thus the distance between the studs l and i2 of the said slide-bar 2 may be varied for the purpose of timing the stroke and taking up lost motion. One of the sections of the said slide-bar 2 is provided with an upwardly projecting stop arm 3 which is arranged to contact with a stop 4 in the form of a screw applied to a casing and having an eccentric head portion adapting it to serve as a varia-ble stop for limiting/the movement of the slide-bar 2 in the direction in which it is pulled by the spring "z,

The intermittent rotary motion of the shaft la is imparted to the cloth clamp plate f1 through means involving as follows: The rear end of the said cloth clamp plate is provided with a vertical arm Z1. To a projection a5 of the casing is pivoted a lever Z2 having a longitudinal slot Z3 .in which slot is mounted a screw-ended stud Z4 provided with a collar Z5 and jam-nut Z6 engaging the screw-threaded end of said stud and serving to clamp the same to Z4 in any desired position in the slot Z3, thereby enabling the eX- tent of the longitudinal feed of the workclamp plate f1 to be varied according to the length of the button hole to be sewed. The lever Z2 is pivotally connected at Z8, to a slotted double-rack pitman vm which is engaged by a segmental pinion m1 secured to the end of the shaft Z5. rlhe said pinion engages with the respective upper and lower racks of the pitmanm at opposite points of its rotation. I

From the above description it is obvious that the cloth clamp plate will be moved in opposite directions by the segmental pinion m1 and the pitman m and that while the pinion turns through theidle parts of the said pitman no endwise movement will be imparted to the cloth clamp plate and clamp. This momentary suspension of the longitudinal feed of the cloth clamp plate 'occurs at the ends of the button-hole and at such time the cloth clamp plate is shifted to bring the cloth clamp f and work into proper position for sewing the opposite sides of the button-hole, through means which will now be described.

The cam wheel o is fixed to the shaft and is provided with a peripheral groovehaving two straight sections and ltwo comparatively short and oblique cam surfaces, all as more fully described in the prior patent above identified. The said cam groove is engaged from below, by a roller 29 on the stud formed integral with a lever 6 fulcrumed on a screw bolt p2 extended through an opening in the casing portion a2, ard in this instance, having a threaded lower end provided with a flanged retaining nut 7, the reduced portion of which nut works in the transverse slot 8 of the retaining plate e. *117e will now particularly consider a very important feature of improvement .involved in the present attachment, whereby it is not only made possible but an easy matter to vary the adjustment of the devices lfor controlling the zigzag stitch mechanism and the offsetting stitch movement, from the top or upper part of the attachment and without requiring' the attachment to be removed from the sewing machine. As the simplest and most efficient means of accomplishing this result, the cloth clamp slide-plate f1 is extended considerably at one side of the casing and is provided with a long slot 9, and the levers 1 and 6 are provided with lateral extensions (see particularly Fig. 6) terminating in heads 10 and 11, respectively. The said lever heads 10 and 11 are provided with slots 12 and 13, respectively, that extend parallel to lines drawn through the axes of the pivots and rollers of the respective levers. Adj ustably mounted in the slots 12 and 13, respectively, are flanged studs 14 which, by means of clamping nuts 15, are adapted to be secured to cooperating lever heads in different desired adjustments. The lower ends of these studs 14 are provided with swiveled cross-heads 16, the sides 'of which are tiattened so that they slide freely in` the slot 9 and in the cloth clampslideplate f1, but do not rotate therein. These iiattened sides of the said cross-heads give long wearing surfaces.

Adjacent to the slots 12 and 13, the lever heads 10 and. 11 are preferably graduated, as best shown in Fig. 2, and for coperating with these graduations, small pointers 17 are secured on the studs 14 between the nuts 15.

As is evident, the farther the cross-heads 16 are secured forward 0r toward the left, in respect to the drawings, within the slots 12 and 13, the greater will be the lateral oscillation imparted to the slide plate f1, and consequently, to the cloth clamp f. It of course, follows from the foregoing description that lateral oscillation imparted to the cloth clamp, through the cam c and lever 1, will impart the zigzag stitch forming movement thereto, while lateral motion imparted to the said cloth clamp through the cam o and lever 6, will shift the cloth clamp so as to throw the stitching from one side to the other of the button-hole. Adjustments for these two different lateral oscillations may,

of course, be independently-made.

A linger-piece or wing 18 is hinged to the outer side of the disk g4. This wing, when turned outward, serves as an etiicient device by which the said disk may be rotated to cause traveling movements of the cloth clamp, and when it is not in use, it may be turned latwise against the face of the said disk, thereby lessening the space required in packing the device.

W'hat I claim is:

1. In a sewing machine attachment, the combination with a casing, cams mounted therein and means for rotating` said cams, of a cloth clamp slide, a cloth clamp carried by said slide, means for imparting endwise back-and-forth motion to said slide, levers pivoted to said casing and operated by the said cams, said levers having arms eX- tended beyond the sideof said casing, and independent adjustable throw connections between the projected ends of said lever arms and the extended side of said slide, eX- posed for adjustment above said slide, and permitting the above noted endwise back and forth movements of said slide.

2. In a sewing machine attachment, the combination with a casing, cams mounted therein and means tor rotating said cams, ot' a cloth clamp slide having a portion projected at one side of said casing and provided with a longitudinal cross 'head slot, levers pivoted to said casing and operated by said cams, said levers having arms eX- tended beyond the side of said easing and terminating in slotted heads, and crossheads adjustably connected to the slotted heads of said lever arms and working in the cross-headslot of said slide.

3. In a sewing machine attachment, the combination with a casing, cams mounted thereinvand means for rotating said cams, ofa cloth clamp slide having` a portion projected at one side of said casing and provided with a longitudinal cross-head slot, levers pivoted to said casing and operated by said cams, said levers having arms extended beyond the side of said easing and terminating in slotted heads, and crossheads adjustably connected to the slotted heads of said lever arms and working in the cross-head slot of said slide, and means for adjustably connecting said cross-heads to'the said lever arm heads comprising nuts exposed above the same so that adjustments may be made while the attachment is in working position.

4. In a sewing machine attachment, the combination with a casing, cams mounted therein and means for rotating said cams, of a cloth clamp slide having a portion projected at one side ot' said casing and provided with a longitudinal cross-head slot, levers pivoted to said casing and operated by said cams, said levers having arms extended beyond the side of said casing and terminating in slotted heads, cross-heads adjustably connected to the slotted heads of said lever arms and working in the crosshead slot of said slide, means for adjustably connecting said cross-heads to the said lever arm heads comprising nuts exposed above the same so that adjustments may be made/while the attachment is in working position, and the said lever arm heads having graduations adjacent to their slots for indicating different adjustments.

5. In a sewing machine attachment, the combination with a casing, of two rotary cams mounted therein, a ratchet wheel rotatable with the irst cam', a pawl-equipped driving lever coperating with said ratchet wheel and adapted to be vibrated by the needle-bar of a sewing machine, connections operated by said cams for imparting different lateral vibrations to said slide, means whereby rotation of the second cam will impart a slide,

back-and-forth endwise movement to said a rotary clutch for directly imparting'rotation to Said second cam, and a londriving lever coperating gi-ltudinally adjustable slide bar receiving endwise movement from said driving lever and imparting step by step rotary movement 1 parting rotation to said second cam, a longitudinally adjustable slide bar receiving endwise movement from said driving lever and imparting step by step' rotary movement to said clutch, one of the sections of said slidebar having a projecting stop lug, and a relatively xed stop, and a spring operative on 'said slidebar and normally holding the Stop lug thereof enga-ged with said relatively ixe'd stop.

7. In a sewing machine attachment, the combination with a cloth clamp and a Slide carrying the same, of two cams with connections for imparting dilerent lateral vi' b'rations to said slide, a driving lever, a clutch device comprising clutch members connecting said lever to one of said cams, Y an operating crank or hand piece pivoted to one of the clutch members for folding movements toward and Vfrom the same, and connections from the cam operated by said clutch, for imparting endwise traveling movements to said slide and cloth clamp.

In testimony whereof l aliX my signa' ture in presence of two witnesses. Y

WILLAM H. HARGRAVES. Witnesses:

M. C. ERDMAN, J As. W. Woons. 

